Threads of Suspicion

Books by Dee Henderson
Danger in the Shadows

The Negotiator
The Guardian
The Truth Seeker
The Protector
The Healer
The Rescuer
True Devotion
True Valor
True Honor
Kidnapped
Before I Wake
The Witness
Gods Gift
The Marriage Wish
Full Disclosure
Jennifer: An OMalley Love Story
Unspoken
Undetected
Taken
An Evie Blackwell Cold Case

Traces of Guilt
Threads of Suspicion
_Henderson_ThreadsSuspicion_LH_wo.indd 2 2/3/17 2:02 PM

AN EVIE BLACKWELL COLD CASE
DEE HENDERSON
5
on-
2017 by Dee Henderson
Published by Bethany House Publishers

11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Bloomington, Minnesota 55438
www.bethanyhouse.com
Bethany House Publishers is a division of

Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Printed in the United States of America
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any meansfor example, electronic, pho-
tocopy, recordingwithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The only
exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Henderson, Dee, author.
Title: Threads of suspicion / Dee Henderson.
Description: Minneapolis, Minnesota : Bethany House, a division of Baker
Publishing Group, [2017] | Series: An Evie Blackwell cold case
Identifiers: LCCN 2016048835| ISBN 9780764219986 (cloth : alk. paper) | ISBN
9780764219979 (trade paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Cold cases (Criminal investigation)Fiction. | GSAFD: Christian
fiction. | Mystery fiction.
Classification: LCC PS3558.E4829 T48 2017 | DDC 813/.54dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016048835
Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright
1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches
of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, incidents, and dialogues are products
of the authors imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to
actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Cover design by Faceout Studio, Tim Green

Cover Imagery by Arcangel | Shutterstock
171819202122237654321

ONE
Evie Blackwell
As Governor Bliss came to the podium, Lieutenant Evie Black-
well dug her hands into her coat pockets, grateful the January
cold would keep this press announcement on schedule and lim-
ited to twenty minutes. His inauguration just the day before
had been sunnier and a few degrees warmer. She did her best
to ignore the television cameras trained on the podium, know-
ing she and the other officers on the stage were now in their
view frame, and that this clip would run on the local evening
newscast.
The governor, at ease with the crowd, spoke without notes.
Thank you all for coming this afternoon. As one of my first
acts as governor, I am pleased to announce the creation of the
Missing Persons Task Force.
Led by Lieutenant Noble of the Riverside Police Depart-
ment, he said, motioning toward her in the row behind him,
these detectives will take a fresh look at cold cases across the
state of Illinois, where a loved one has gone missing, bring-
ing new insights, questions, and ideas to the table. Working

with local police, they will endeavor to find answers and bring
needed closure.
I know when you are waiting for news, any wait is too
long. My sister, Shannon, was missing for eleven years. I never
stopped searching, I never gave up hope, and through Gods
grace and Shannons courage, she is home again. We need more
miracles that will get similar news to many families. And for
those whose missing father, mother, daughter, or son will not
be coming home again, so that they will be able to lay their
loved one to rest. This is a first step, a good step, toward help-
ing find answers.
I would like now to introduce the man who leads the Illinois
State Police, Commander Frank Foster, for a few brief remarks.
It was official. For the next two years she would be time-
sharing between her current job with the Illinois State Polices
Bureau of Investigations and the new Missing Persons Task
Force. Evie caught the eye of her boyfriend, Rob Turney, in
the audience behind the press corps and shared a smile. It had
been nice of him to take a day off work, fly down to Springfield
from Chicago, to be part of her day and this announcement.
The commanders remarks concluded, Evie in turn shook
hands with the governor, stood for photos with the other task-
force members, and the event was completed.
Evie maneuvered through the crowd to join Rob. Would
you like to say hello to the governor? I can get us a minute with
him before he slips away, if you like, she offered, sliding her
hand into his. Rob had met then-Governor-elect Bliss at the
Christmas party of her friends, Ann and Paul Falcon, and had
spoken about the encounter many times since. Ann had got-
ten Evie her job on the task force, as their friendship covered
more than years.
Rob considered the crowd around the governor. I appreci-

Dee Henders on
ate the thought, Evie, but there will be future occasions when
your cases are successfully solved. This signature piece of his
administration is going to have his considerable attention. Ill
get to talk with him another time.
Her hand tightened on his as she smiled. I love the optimism.
Can you stay for a meal?
He replied by leaning down, kissing her softly. Thanks,
he said, his voice full of regret, but I need to be getting back
for a late meeting. Youll be getting organized with the new
group and Id just be in the way. Ill catch a return flight with
Ann and Paul. Call me tonight. Let me know where youre
heading tomorrow. If its anywhere north, well meet up for
dinner this week.
She hugged him, and his arms held her close as she whispered,
Thank you. It conveyed a wealth of unspoken realities. Her
present job took her back and forth across the state, and shed
just committed to twenty-four months of even more relentless
travel.
Youll do great work, Evie, and make us both proud.
She let him go. She had a marriage proposal from him wait-
ing, an offer that he would make if and when she was ready to
say yes. He wanted the permanence of being married to her,
and she simply wasnt there yet. But she was thinking more and
more about it. As she had scanned across the faces familiar to
her at the event, she realized again that his presence mattered
a great deal more than any of the others.
As Rob headed over to Paul and Ann Falcon, Evie looked
around to see where her group was gathering. David Marshal
was the only one not presently in conversation with someone
from the press. She moved to join hima solid guy, comfortable
with the attention, and taking it all in stride more easily than
she was. She was sure she was going to enjoy working with him,

as his reputation as a New York City cop preceded him. He

had come back to his Chicago roots just for this new venture.
Your guy? David asked, nodding at Robs receding back.
Yeah.
Nice. Im glad he was here to see this.
Evie smiled. You have a girl?
David returned the smile and said easily, I do. Weve been
dating a number of years now. Shes still in New York, but is
moving back to Chicago soon. He nodded an acknowledg-
ment to a person in the crowd. I hear youre hosting tonight.
I hope you like your chili hot and your jambalaya spicy,
she replied with a smile. She was the only one in the group who
actually lived in the Illinois capital of Springfield. She had vol-
unteered her home and a meal for their first gathering as a team.
It sounds perfect for a cold day.
The others joined them as they got clear of the press. She
would have the honor of working alongside some of the best
detectives in the state. Sharon Noble in charge, Theodore
Lincoln out of Chicago, Taylor Aims from St. Louis, David
Marshal back from New York. She hoped to keep up, to pull
her weight, to do solid, effective work representing the Illinois
State Police.
How about directions, Evie, and well reassemble at your
place? Sharon suggested. Besides a nice meal, were going to
be able to get some actual work done today. This is exciting,
she said, rubbing her cold hands together. They all laughed at
her enthusiasm.
Evie gave directions, then added, The dogs are Apollo and
Zeus and love nothing more than to have a rumble with guys.
You want to make a friend for life, toss a tennis ball and watch
them smash into snowdrifts for the catch. Neighbors on both
sides are in Florida for the season, so park wherever the snow-

Dee Henders on
plows have cut a path. She glanced at her new boss. Sharon,
why dont you bring John? Since your Riverside PD will be doing
task-force paperwork, shouldnt he be in on the opening round
of decisions? Theres plenty of food.
Hes got to meet up with Commander Foster first, but Ill
suggest he come by after that, Sharon agreed. John Graham,
deputy chief of the Riverside PD, would be involved even if not
formally. Sharon presently wore Johns ring, and wedding plans
were in the works. Evie was hoping to have a few minutes to
ask John for wedding-shower gift ideas.
Plans settled, the group dispersed toward the parking lot.
Evie, I think your dogs are stalking me.

She set down the pitcher of iced tea and turned, saw that
David was right. The German shepherds were about four feet
behind him, both in a hunting stance, intently creeping up on
him. She grinned. Theyd attack his shoelaces if they could get
close enough. They get bored during the winter. She walked
over and interrupted their hunt, leaned down and scratched
behind their ears. Relax, guys. Hes too big for a decent quarry.
Go play with your rope or find your ducks.
David laughed as they reluctantly headed out of the kitchen.
Youve got to give them credit for working together. He dipped
himself another bowl of chili, added grated cheese and crackers.
Its great chili, by the way.
Thanksmy grandmothers recipe. Throw it in a crock-
pot, its ready any time.
She dipped out a bowl of the jambalaya and carried it with
her iced tea over to the table, glancing at Sharon, who gave a
nod to her questioning look.
I vote we head to the most heartbreaking counties first,

Evie said, responding to the question at hand. Douglas County

has three missing seven-year-olds, plus a school principal and
a grandmother.
That county needs to be on our short list, Theo agreed,
writing it on the large whiteboard shed brought in for their
convenience. They had already determined to work county by
county, taking a fresh look at cold cases five to fifteen years old.
Evie had done a test run of the strategy in Carin County over
her vacation last November, and it had worked well. Which
county to head to first was the question on the table.
We will have extra media interest in the initial months,
Taylor said. We can use that to get the publics help with cer-
tain cases. Those missing in Briar County, for example, cover
the gamut, he added, reviewing a summary sheet. A wife
and two daughters. A college student. A businessman in his
fifties. A teenage boy. A private investigator. Thats a lot of
human interest in one place, helping keep appeals for informa-
tion prominent in the news.
Not to be too political, but do we want to factor in the
likelihood of solving the cases into our decision? David asked,
setting down the second bowl of chili and pulling out a chair
beside Evie. Some cases have already had more media expo-
sure, more manpower hours, than others. Clark County has
two missing women, both with a history of prostitution. The
reality is they likely wouldnt have been worked as aggressively
as the missing seven-year-olds. And if we could solve those
two cases, we likely would be able to do the same in adjacent
counties, since those kinds of missing persons tend to be part
of a larger pattern.
Working those could lead to a major arrest, Sharon said.
Add that county to the short list, Theo. I like the idea of going
where there is the suggestion of a larger pattern. Whats the
10

Dee Henders on
consensus? Do we want to try for a home run our first time at

bat? Or do we play softball while we jell as a group?
Attempting a home run first time at bat, you mostly hit
air, Theo cautioned.
Whats the mood of the locals? Taylor asked. Some of
these counties law enforcement will want our help, while others
will be less than welcoming. Were going to need homegrown
assistance. They know the area, the people, and we need that
kind of knowledge to run down leads. Id say we go first where
we know were wanted.
Murmurs of agreement came from around the table.
All three of these counties would welcome our involvement,
Sharon told them. David, youve traveled the farthest to join
the task force, so Ill make this your choice. Which county do
we work first? And which case there do you want?
Lets head to Briar County. For full disclosure, I still need to
get settled house-wise, and thats close to where Ill be buying.
And I like the idea of looking for that missing PI. It suggests
some interesting work.
Sharon nodded and continued around the table. Evie, which
case would you like?
Evie scanned the summary sheet, and it was an easy choice.
The college student.
Theo?
The teenage boy.
Taylor?
The businessman.
She wrote their selections down. Okay, Ill take the missing
wife and two daughters. Good. Weve got our opening salvo.
Well work them both individually and as a group. As we solve
one, well double up on the others. She sorted maps in her
briefcase and pulled out Briar County, unfolded it on the table.
11

The locations where the individuals had gone missing were al-
ready circled. Were going to be spread out across this county.
Evie and David, why dont you base in Ellis, help each other
out? Theo and I will head to Park Heights. Taylors in Juno.
Lets plan to meet as a group in Juno on she pulled out her
calendarWednesday, the twenty-eighth of January, to talk
through our progress.
Drive or fly? David asked, glancing at Evie.
Id rather have my own car than a rental, she said. Roads
are snowy, but we could make it there by, say, onea.m. if you
want to go up tonight, travel in tandem.
Im for getting there, sleeping in, he agreed.
Sharon folded the map. The travel budget is going to accom-
modate what we need, along with decent hotels. I plan to fly
north with John and Theo in the morning. Its faster to make
your own reservations and put in for reimbursement, or you
can let the State Police travel staff make your bookingsthe
number is in your packets. Its taking about ninety days to get
repaid right now.
Some things never change, Taylor remarked with a shrug.
Ill plan to drive up tomorrow.
Good. With the exception of David, weve all got current
jobs that are going to demand attention too. You get called
away, be sure to leave your notes. David, can you handle cover-
ing interviews if someone needs to step out?
Not a problem.
Evie rose to cut the piesshed bought apple, cherry, and
lemon meringue. The case files, Sharon, she said over her
shoulder, should we call tonight to get evidence boxes pulled?
Briar County is one of a handful that has already retrieved
their case files from the archives. The boxes will be with the
officers who most recently worked the cases, waiting for pickup.
12

Dee Henders on
Ill make some calls tonight and locate workspace for us at these
various locationsprobably a conference room at the local
PD or empty office space. Ill text you specifics as I get them.
I dont want us having to work a case out of our hotel room
unless thats your choice. Sharon looked around the table.
What else am I forgetting?
Youll handle the press?
Only if I cant get a volunteer.
We unanimously vote that ones yours, Theo replied for
the group with a smile.
I was afraid of that. What else?
Were good. Come have pie, Evie suggested after a mo-
ment, getting plates out. Well celebrate the start of the task
force in style.
Sharon Noble
Sharon looked around the room at the cops eating pie, getting
better acquainted with each other, and felt a deep satisfaction.
The Illinois Missing Persons Task Force would do good work
over the next two years. In her opinion, the depth of talent in
the room was unrivaled. This was her team now, and for the
next two years, professionals all. They would get it done.
She had been working missing-persons cases for the last eight
years with the Riverside PD and loved the job. She was an opti-
mistmissing persons could be found, or at least closure could
be had. Being asked by the governor to lead this task force was
a gift, one she was going to enjoy.
John Graham, the deputy chief of police for the Riverside
Police Department, and the man whose ring sparkled on her left
13

hand, had arrived and was in earnest conversation with Theo.

Shed be juggling wedding plans with her task-force work, but
shed handled more difficult complications in the past. John had
encouraged her to take this on. Everything needed for success
was here. Now they just had to deliver on the promise, find
some people.
Sharon, whens the wedding? Evie asked, coming over to
join her.
Weve decided on the twenty-seventh of April.
A spring wedding. Nice.
John wants three weeks away for a honeymoon, and Im
considering that idea. Id rather have two and spend a week of
that getting settled into his home. Travel isnt my thing, and
for every day away, the piles on both our desks just grow that
much higher.
Evie laughed. A minor negotiation between the romantic
and a pragmatic.
Governor Bliss asked me to pass on his thanks again for
your willingness to serve on the team. I dont need to tell you
how personal our success is for him.
I know. Im going to like the work.
So am I. The idea of solving what has happened to a mother
and two daughters has me itching to get those files open, Sha-
ron admitted with a smile. Ann said to get in touch with her
if you need anything. Shes now officially on the FBI payroll as
a retired homicide cop consultant, so we can draw her in on
whatever investigative work we want while the task force gets
established.
Good. For starters, I plan to ask if she wants to walk around
a college campus with me.
Shell be useful to all of us. Your dogs will be okay with
your extended absence?
14

Dee Henders on
Evie turned and saw the two German shepherds watching

her guests from a perch on the stairwell landing. Recently
retired military guys on this block take care of them while Im
travelingbasically wear them out with an army version of
daily PT. Im the mom who babies them when Im home. My
dogs get the best of all worlds when I travel. Shed given them
a bath the day before, and for tonight they looked like gentle-
men. Im clearing out perishables since I dont know when Ill
be home next. You want oranges, bagels to take to the hotel
for the morning?
Sure.
How about a piece or two of pie?
Sharon looked over to see what John had chosen. Hes
favoring the cherry if theres extra of it. Hell view it as fruit
and have it for breakfast. They laughed, and Evie went to
box it up.
An hour to wrap up here, Sharon thought, mentally listing
immediate tasks, let Evie and David get on the road, make calls
to find workspaces, and then a quick text to the governorkeep
him in the loop as requested. John glanced over, shared a smile
with her. He was her biggest supporter in this new endeavor.
God, you really favored me with a good man, she mentioned
to Him in gratitude.
Balancing work and a personal life when you were a cop took
unusual wisdom, and Sharon knew Evie was in the process of
sorting it all out for her own life. A young, gifted detective,
destined to be Anns replacement on sensitive matters for the
governor. One of the reasons Evie was on the task force was so
Sharon could help get her ready for that role; she was going to
enjoy that mentoring role. Teaming Evie with David had been
the first step toward that end. David was a great guy. Hed been
in a solid relationship for a while, and the dynamics of juggling
15

the job and dating would be another point of common ground

and possibly helpful discussions.
Theo was single, but older than the others here. He dated
interesting women but had no plans to settle down to married
life in the immediate future. A solid cop with a calm demeanor,
hed spent his career focusing on cold cases, and she was for-
tunate to have him. She thought he would become the natural
linchpin of their group, and others would key off him when
their cases were stuck. She knew she would.
Taylor, married with two sons in college, didnt fit any partic-
ular law-enforcement pattern, had loved patrol, worked under
cover, served in administration, become a detective. Everywhere
he went, the departments improvedbetter morale, quicker
response times, fewer citizen complaints, falling crime stats.
Sharon had realized after meeting him a few times that he was
praying for people around himsimply part of how he op-
erated, doing it with such consistency that he left peace and
justice in his wake.
Sharon smiled as she realized they all loved this work. Solving
real-life puzzles mattered, and they werent the kind of cops
to give up easily when a case hit a brick wall. They brought a
wealth of experience to finding answers. It was going to be a
good two years.
16

TWO
Evie Blackwell
It was even colder in Ellis than it had been in Springfield. Evie,
glad to be getting out of the wind, held glass doors open for
David as he pushed a flat cart loaded with boxes into the build-
ing. Im curious, she asked, how do you prefer to begin a
case?
He wrestled against a stiff wheel that wanted to drift left. I
like talking to people. Once Ive seen the facts Ive got to work
with, I like to get out and start asking questions, see where those
answers lead. People point you different directions. The major-
ity of the time theyre being honest and trying to be helpful.
When I come across someone lying to me, I know Im getting
close to the answer.
Youre looking for the person who shades the truth, lies
to you.
Pretty much. How about you, Evie?
I like to get inside the world of my victim, see what they were
doing, where they were going, how they crossed with someone
who did them harm.
17

Re-create the day of the crime.

The best I can.
A good approach.
Evie used keys the security guard had provided to unlock the
main doors for office suite 5, then flicked on lights. The space
had recently been refurbished for new tenantsa design firm
was moving in late next monthand it still smelled of fresh
paint and new carpet. Having expected a small room at the
police station, this was luxury.
David scanned the area. Youve got four boxes, Ive got
seventeen, so I call dibs on the conference room through there.
I need the long table and even longer whiteboard.
A couple of desks and the rolling whiteboards will serve
my case, Evie agreed.
An hour to sort through boxes and see what weve got, then
bring in an early lunch, update where we are?
Sounds good. Evie set an alarm on her phone. Its going
to be funif Im allowed to describe it that way.
David grinned. I like this job, though Im careful how often
I admit that. Im sorry my PI is missing, but it makes for a fas-
cinating puzzle, considering what he did for a living. I get paid
to do work I love. Everyone should be so fortunate.
Ditto. Evie lifted her boxes off the cart and over to a
desk, and David pushed the remaining ones into the confer-
ence room.
The detectives whod had these cases had been cordial, polite,
but not enthusiastic about offering further help. They told them,
Its all in the files, without saying, Good luck with finding
anything else. There were still two map tubes in transit from
the archives for her case, but the bulk of the case materials
were before her.
The lack of assistance from the locals was probably for the
18

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best, at least for now. The facts were in the reports. The theories
of what happened ... well, Evie would rather formulate her
own, as would David.
In her experience, solving a cold case came down to looking
at the existing facts in a different way, asking new questions,
searching intently for a thread that would yield information
overlooked in the past. Not an easy thing to do when a case
had been worked aggressively, but inevitably overlooked items
came to light if she kept digging. If the new evidence didnt
yield an answer, her second course of action was to dig deeper
into the lives of the people involved with the missing person,
and then push out to find more names beyond the family and
friends in the record.
The passage of time nearly always brought out undiscovered
truths about people. The good man with a terrible secret had
been found out and was now in jail, the thief who never got
caught had committed one too many burglaries and finally been
arrested, and the woman who drank too much now had the
DUIs to prove she had a drinking problem. Life reveals truth.
That was what Evie depended on when it came to a cold case
like her missing student.
Time changed circumstances. Close friends were no longer
speaking to each other, families split apart, alliances shifted,
people would now talk to authorities about things theyd seen
or wondered about when past loyalties had kept them silent.
The same interviews done today could yield a treasure trove
of new information. Whichever approach workedlooking
at facts a new way or finding new insights about those people
involvedshed push until this case yielded an answer.
This missing Brighton College student was her choice off
a single line on a summary sheet. Now came the moment of
truth. Would it turn out to be an interesting choice? Evie lifted
19

the top off the first box, eager to dig in. Okay, Jenna Greenhill,
what have the cops already found for me?
The folders were thicker than she had expected. From the
dates, it looked like detectives had come back to this case many
times. She thumbed through the folders, found lab reports,
witness statements, daily updates, phone call lists, credit-card
statements, even police reports on five possible related cases.
There was a lot of reading ahead of her, but when she was
done, she would know how the detectives had approached the
case, what they had discovered. Good, the foundation is here.
Thankfully, the detectives had included flash drives with elec-
tronic archives of their reports. Shed have searchable informa-
tion at her fingertips, which would speed up her investigation
considerably.
She lifted the lid on the second box and found a treasure trove
of Jennas personal items. Purse, wallet, keys, desk calendar,
journals, cellphone. Evie opened the evidence bag holding the
phone, slid the battery back in, and wasnt surprised when
the device didnt light up. The battery was dead. Shed pick
up a replacement as one of her first errands. Jennas laptop
was sealed in an evidence bag, along with a technicians note
providing a neatly printed password. The last significant item
was an accordion folder stuffed with bills, menus, flyers, hand-
written notes with phone numbers, names, listslikely Jennas
desk and kitchen-counter clutter swept together and kept, since
what would matter might be anything here. Goodthe cops
had paid attention to the small things that could be key to
solving this case.
The third box was more of Jennas papers, stored in folders
with the girls handwriting on the tabscollege class schedules,
financial aid, class notes, medical records, bank statements,
utility bills. One titled family and friends was mostly saved
20

Dee Henders on
birthday cards and a few personal letters. Jenna had liked her
world organized. Her life was here, at least the structure of it.
Evie opened the fourth box and nearly laughed out loud. Jenna
had created scrapbooks and photo albumseight of them, neatly
stacked. Thank you, Jenna. Youre going to make my job easier.
Four file boxes ... enough material to build a solid founda-
tion, but not so much Evie couldnt properly get her arms around
it. She was already having a good run of luck with this case.
Evie stepped to the conference room door. I hit a gold mine.
David looked up from the box he was unpacking.
Scrapbooks and photo albums.
Girls do like photos and fluff.
She laughed softly at the kind way he said it. His case boxes
were now lined up against the far wall, their lids tucked behind
each one. Having any luck with your discoveries?
My PI is Saul Morrishe looks to be an interesting man.
I have what may be the contents of his office spread across ten
boxes. Two are personal items from his home. A box of police
reports and witness statements. And finally, a good assortment
of electronicstwo laptops, four phones, three cameras, a
shoebox full of backup CDs and flash drives. Theres a stack
of handwritten notebooks in this one, not unlike a cop would
make. Im very optimistic.
Im glad for you. Im going to start putting together my
board and timeline. Unless you would like some help?
David considered what was around him. Im good for now.
Thanks for the offer.
Evie took the now-empty cart to get it out of his way, checked
the supply cabinets, found colored markers for the whiteboards,
magnetic clips to hang items. There were a dozen mobile white-
boards stored in the auxiliary space beside the conference
roomthe design firm had organized this office for doing a
21

lot of visual work. Evie rolled one over to her desk, drew a
horizontal line, marked the middle with October 17, 2007, the
date Jenna Greenhill had gone missing.
Sometimes determining what was going on before a crime
pointed at the solution, but most of the time with cold cases, the
answer was discovered in how people acted after the disappear-
anceguilt stained a person, criminal conduct continuedso
there were as many clues, if not more, after a crime as before it.
She would work both sides of the timeline with equal intensity.
Perspective first, then details of the disappearance, Evie de-
cided. She looked through the boxes again for facts that would
define Jennas life.
Jenna Greenhill.
Last seen: October 17, 2007
DOB: 11-12-85, age 21 when last seen
Parents: Rachel and Luke Greenhill
Siblings: sister, Marla, 3 years older
She found a casual photo of Jenna with her mother in an

early albumMom and me, Saturday morning tea and talk
of college plans. Jenna wore stylish glasses, shoulder-length
auburn hairshe didnt have a classic beauty, but she looked
attractive. Her smile looked a touch self-conscious. No jeans
and a casual top, but a summer dress, nice necklace, earrings,
no rings. The mother looked much more relaxed than Jenna.
Evie posted the photo.
She added a family photo: parents and two girls with snow-
capped mountains behind themYellowstone, 2003, according
to the caption. Luke was nearly a foot taller than his wife and
daughters. There were no obvious signs of stress in the family
22

Dee Henders on
photo, such as one of the girls avoiding being too close or resist-
ing a parents touch, and the smiles seemed genuine.
A helpful cop had added Post-it notes to Jennas albums. Evie
reviewed images, chose several that seemed the most relevant,
and added them to the case board.
Current boyfriend: Steve Hamilton

Former boyfriend: Spence Spinner
Best friend: Robin Landis
Study group friend: Amy Bertram
College friend: Tiffany Wallace
Her first interviews would be with family and friends. Evie

reached for the phone and called her preferred researcher at the
State Police, gave him the names to track down. Jennas college
friends would have dispersed across the nation after graduation,
but hopefully some were still in the area. The rest shed re-
interview by video. She would wait to contact the parents until
the detective assigned to the case spoke with them and conveyed
the news the task force was once more taking up the search.
Will music bother you?
Evie turned to look at David. It was quiet in here. Try it.
Ill tell you if it does.
At another desk he pulled up a playlist of songs on a website,
and music filled the office suite at a comfortable volume. She
didnt know a lot about popular music, but she recognized the
song currently climbing to the top of the charts. You like her
music. You had that band, Triple M, playing on our drive to
pick up the case boxes.
He dug out his wallet and slipped out a photo, showed it
to her.
23

Evie stared. Margaret May McDonald? Shes your girl? Are

you kidding me?
David laughed. She prefers just Maggie. There are dozens
more photos on my phone, but this is my favorite. He slid the
photo back into his wallet. Shes scheduled to be the special
guest a week from Friday at Chicagos charity benefit sponsored
by the mayor. Shell be singing a couple of songs. If youd like
to go, Ill introduce you.
Id love that, Evie replied, stunned at the news. Wow. At
our first break here, you owe me the story of you two, how that
came to be.
Its more dinner-hour fare, as its long, with ripples folding
back on each other. But its a good one to tell.
Youre on.
Im going to find the break room and start some coffee.
How do you take yours?
Black is fine.
David headed down the hall. Evie added more notes about
Jenna to the whiteboard.
Brighton College
Biology major
Chemistry minor
Junior year by credit count
4.4 out of 5.0 GPA
Her thoughts were no longer fully focused on her case. Her

working partner was a celebritys boyfriend. How had she
missed that? It couldnt be that tight a secret in the music world.
Cops were notoriously low-key about celebrities in their midst,
but when the significant other happens to be this famous and
24

Dee Henders on
dating a cop? Evie was struck by how many comments must

have drifted by her and not registered.
No wonder David had smiled at her question about a girl.
Oh, yeah, he had a girl. Only one of the most famous singing
sensations in the country!
Deal with it, Evie whispered to herself, forcing her attention
back on task. She posted a copy of Jennas class schedule. She
searched out names of Jennas professors, TAs, her academic
advisor, listed them under the class schedule.
Shed been a bit intimidated to work with David Marshal
before this, knowing his official reputation, but now it was on
a whole new level. Hed probably been backstage at numerous
concerts, met any number of other celebrities in New York.
She was going to have to brush up on her music knowledge.
She knew what kind of music she liked to listen to, but could
rarely remember the title of a song, let alone name the singer
or the band.
Something similar happened when Rob would introduce her
to someone at a party. Shed say hi and have no clue how im-
portant the person was in the greater world of finance and busi-
ness. People probably thought she was rather self-assured, not
intimidated to meet important people, when most of the time
she simply didnt know who they were. Ann did the same, intro-
ducing Evie to the governor-elect, to the former vice-president.
Anns world seemed normal and yet was filled with areas that
were anything but common. Ann was comfortable there, but
Evie struggled to figure out how to do that. She never wanted
to be personally famous. If she had a single goal in life, she just
wanted to be a good detective.
The alarm on her phone interrupted her introspection. Evie
found the stack of area menus the security guard had provided
and scanned through them. What sounds good to you for
25

lunch? she asked David as he came through the door with

two mugs of coffee.
A sandwich is fine. Im thinking Italian would be nice for
dinner tonight. A good spaghetti or lasagna.
Im game. She called in a delivery order for soup and sand-
wiches, considering David. He didnt look like the boyfriend of
a famous singer. He looked like a cop. Shed just think cop and
hopefully forget, or at least adjust quickly to, the unexpected
fact of his girlfriends status in the music world.
She drank the coffee he had brought her and once again
shook off the distraction. She scanned over the collection of
data. Theres enough to give me a basic sense of Jennas life,
she thought. Time to look at the specifics of what had hap-
pened. She pulled out the first police report. It had been called
in by Jennas best friend, Robin Landis, on Monday afternoon,
October 20. Jenna had last been seen Friday night. A rather
long gap...
Once the timeline was filled in with details pulled from police
reports and witness statements, Evie settled back in a desk chair
to study the information and unwrapped a roll of sweet-tarts.
A bag of them had showed up at her home, gift-wrapped, with
a Have fun on the task force note from Gabriel Thane. The
sheriff of Carin County was a good friend who knew her well.
Shed tossed the entire bag in her suitcase, figuring it might
last the first week.
Okay, Jenna. Im looking for you now, and Im going to dig
in until I find you. Whats here to see? The items on the board
showed a typical college student going about her life. Classes.
Friends. Boyfriend.
Jenna had gone out with a group of friends on that last Friday
26

Dee Henders on
night, dinner first and then a concert. She had parted from the
group just after 11 p.m. on the block where she lived. At 11:42,
Jenna sent a text message to her motherBack in apartment,
received your message, will call you in the morning. After that
... nothing. Jenna hadnt been heard from or seen again.
The missing-persons report had been filed on Monday after-
noon. Jenna hadnt been answering texts or calls, she missed
church where she was a semi-regular, missed her classes on
Monday morning, including a chemistry test worth twenty per-
cent of the semester grade. The building manager had opened
the apartment door for a worried friend, and her friend had
then called the police. Jennas purse was there with her phone
and keys. Her car was in its assigned parking spot. No sign of
a struggle. Just no Jenna....
It was fairly typical for a missing-persons case landing on a
detectives desk. A few days of delay, friends and family getting
worried, the realization they couldnt locate her, so call the cops.
On the surface, the case seemed straightforward. But it hadnt
been solved in the last nine years, so something was muddy-
ing what should have been an open-and-shut investigation and
arrest.
Evie reached over for a blank pad of paper, divided the page
into two columns, and numbered the lines one through twenty.
On the left side she wrote FACTS, on the right side THEORIES.
Under FACTS, she listed:
1. Good grades
2. No history of problems with the law
3. No history of excessive drinking
4. Steady boyfriend
5. No roommate
27

6. Keys recovered in apartment

7. Phone ditto
8. Wallet ditto
9. Car in her parking space
10. No sign of struggle in apartment?
Evie put a question mark on that last one because shed

want to study the apartment photos with a magnifying glass
before affirming it.
11. Last seen Friday night, 11p.m., her block, walking to her
apt building
12. Last text sent, Friday, 11:42p.m., to her mom
13. Did not answer phone calls on Saturday
14. Did not attend church on Sunday
15. Did not appear in Monday classes
16. Credit cards not used after Friday night
17. Bank accounts not accessed after Friday night
What had Jenna been wearing that Friday night? If it was a

unique outfit, and those clothes were in the apartment, Jenna
had been home long enough to change before whatever this
was had happened.
Evie scanned the reports. Fridays attire: blue jeans, a red
college sweatshirt, tennis shoes, maybe gray. If Jenna hadnt had
several close variations of that outfit in her closet, Evie would
be surprised. Friends didnt remember her wearing jewelry. That
wasnt helpful either.
She would find more details in the police reports and witness
statements as she got deeper into those thick files, but for now
this looked like the opening set of operative facts.
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Dee Henders on
Under THEORIES, Evie started making another list. Her

process was pretty simple: gather facts, speculate on possible
theories, eliminate them with more facts, and eventually shed
find her answer.
1. Killed or still alive?

2. Missing by her own choice?
3. Stranger in apartment, lying in wait?
4. Robbery of apartment, she walked in on it?
Evie lightly crossed off number twoMissing by her own

choice, though it remained readable. What she knew about this
college girl indicated that was unlikely.
5. Boyfriend Steve Hamilton did something?

6. Former boyfriend Spence Spinner did it?
7. Abduction for ransom that went bad, with no ransom call
made?
8. Anyone out there who would want to cause Jennas family
grief?
She needed a deeper look at the family. Brighton College was

a private school and tuition would be expensive, suggesting
either numerous scholarships and grants or the parents had
money. Evie made a note to research that topic. Cops would
have looked at the boyfriends closely, but shed take another
look there too.
9. If killed in her apartment, where did the body go? Hauled

out when/how? Friday night? Saturday morning? Not a
solitary sign of violent death?
29

10. Killed in another apt in the building?

11. Any other abductions, disappearances of women from
this college?
12. Someone else sent that last text, not Jenna?
Evie stopped when she wrote down twelve, feeling an in-

teresting tug. Maybe killed somewhere else and then someone
takes her apartment keys, goes to the apartment, maybe to
steal some cash (hard to know) or remove a connection that
cops would otherwise find, photos on her phone or laptop,
or to retrieve a gift given to Jenna. He (or she) sends text to
her mother to misdirect when and where Jenna had been. Im
back at the apartment, sent at 11:42p.m., only its not Jenna
sending it. Evie circled number twelve. Shed learned through
experience to find areas not yet explored, or only glanced at,
and spend more time there. She thought the cops had probably
not pursued this particular idea.
13. Jenna was grabbed on the block before she reached her
building, killed in some other building/apartment on the
block? (But her keys were thereshe would have had them
with her ... killer returned them?)
Evie would need to know who had lived not only in Jennas
building, but in every apartment in the neighborhooda whole
lot of data to dig up and a lot of backgrounds to look into.
Evie felt hope begin to rise that this case could be solved. Cops
already would have looked at guys living in the area, but had
they really drilled down? Systematically, building by building,
across that block and others nearby? She could dig in with the
benefit of hindsight. There could be a record of something off
about the person she was looking to find. Kill one girl, odds
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Dee Henders on
were good you had committed other crimes in the last nine
years. Evie put a star beside that idea.
What else? What other theories could fit the facts?
14. A good student. Was she writing papers for other students
to make extra money? Helping someone cheat, now want-
ing to stop? Or shed said no to someone who asked for
her help to cheat?
15. She was a good student because she was the one cheating,
buying papers and getting advance looks at tests from a
TA?
16. She saw something she wasnt supposed to see and was
killed to keep her from talking. A drug deal? A fight? What
else happened that night in the area?
Okay, now she was finding herself in the weeds. Evie put
down her pen and read back through her lists. Shed add more
in the coming days, but enough was here that she might already
have brushed up against the answer to this case.
Evie retrieved the photos cops had taken of the apartment
and began to sort them out by area and room. She was inter-
rupted by the front desk calling to say their lunch order had
arrived. Evie walked down to get it, carried the sack to the
conference room. Mind if I join you?
David turned from his whiteboard, smiled, and pointed to
the clear end of the conference table. Id welcome the company.
Ill be paused here in a minute.
It would be good to step away from Jenna for a bit. Evie
divided the lunch order and pulled out a chair. Piles of folders
filled the rest of the table, two laptops were open, and the PIs
phones were neatly lined up. She watched David writing more
notes on the long whiteboard, building his case overview. She
31

started her lunch. Youre not linear, Evie remarked, intrigued

by what he was doing. Client names, family members, neigh-
bors, and friends all radiated out in various circle clusters.
David paused to unwrap his sandwich, gestured to the board.
Its people who interacted with him who can tell me his life
story. And one of those people likely killed him. Ill deal with
the timeline when Im ready to break the alibi thats spun.
You dont think he could just be missing, that he took him-
self off the grid and disappeared for some reason?
David shook his head. I find it easier to assume the worst.
Then I ask the tougher questions.
Interesting point.
He settled in a chair and opened a bag of chips. You dont
make assumptions to narrow down a case?
I run theories, play what-ifs, see how many different stories
I can create out of the existing evidence. I try to simultane-
ously hold all of them as active possibilities as I explore for
more facts.
We have very different brains.
Evie laughed. Im often told Im simply odd.
Yours works. Im just more ... well, lets just say I shake the
box of people connections and wait for the answer to fall out.
She wrapped up the second half of her sandwich for later
and opened her own bag of chips. Im going to learn a lot just
by watching you work.
David smiled. With this case, Im glad I prefer this approach.
My PI disappeared sometime between Thursday morning and
the following Tuesday morning. Throw a dart at a map of Chi-
cago and its suburbs to sort out where it happened.
Ouch.
I chose a black hole for a case, David replied with good
humor. Saul didnt have someone he would check in with regu-
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Dee Henders on
larly. He used an answering service instead of a secretary. He

was in contact with family, but not in a predictable pattern.
Theres no steady girlfriend in the picture that I have so far. By
this time tomorrow Im going to know just how deep a mystery
Ive got here. Even his car is missing.
Your reputation will be well earned when you solve it.
Or this will take a bite out of it. Solve your case quickly, so
you can come and help me out. Ill need it.
Evie laughed. Ditto. Do you like hard cases?
Sure. It gives me something more to pray about.
Evie wasnt sure if David meant that literally, so she chose
to let the comment pass for now. Ive seen enough paper with
mine Im ready to get out of here, go see the college and where
my girl lived. She pushed back her chair and picked up the
remainder of her lunch. Ill be back by dark to join you for
dinner. I want to hear the story of you and Maggie.
By then Ill have opened all these folders and be ready for
a break, David said. Good hunting, Evie.
You too, David.
33

THREE
Evie drove over to Brighton College, thinking about her case,

trying to push what she did know toward possible answers.
At this point, it didnt feel like Jenna had chosen what hap-
pened. She didnt seem like the type of woman to take herself
off the grid, walk away from her life, disappear of her own
choosing. Not with a good relationship with her mother and
the years shed already invested toward getting her degree.
Jenna had no roommate, so scratch a personal collision of
valuesno college-style domestic violence, roommate doing
away with roommate and successfully covering it up.
Jenna might have walked into her apartment to find un
expected trouble waiting for her. No indications of struggle
could have been patience on the killers part. Tucked in, lying
in wait. Comes at Jenna when shes vulnerable, maybe after she
turned in for the night, maybe after she went to sleep? Yeah.
Maybe.
Someone hides for a couple of hours, though, they have to
hide somewhere. Were there dead spaces in the apartment floor
plan? Rarely used closets? Shed need to find out.
Evie reached into the console tray for another sweet-tart.
35

Jenna Greenhill should, could and would be found. A real-life

puzzle made this a good workday.
She drove onto the college campus shortly after twop.m.,
found a parking space near the quad. The open space of snowy
ground was surrounded by buildings she assumed were devoted
to various study disciplineseconomics, chemistry, business,
engineering, to guess a few. She picked up the backpack she
preferred to a briefcase, locked the car. She could pass for an
older student with the backpack, casual coat and boots, and
that suited her for now. Shed look like a cop easily enough
when that would better open doors.
From the groups of students crossing the quad, college hadnt
changed much since shed attendedclusters of young people
heading to classes, trying to fit in a personal life around their
studies. The couples stood out, for they were laughing, chatting
with each other, and basically not paying attention to the rest
of the world. What had changed were the smartphones and
the messaging and scrolling through screens for information
looking at their cells, reading as they walked, tied into their
slice of the world, defined by the music they liked, the style
of news they preferred, and the people whose opinions they
chose to follow.
The missing Jenna had walked this quad many times. She
would have blended into this mass of humanity, not stood out.
Some of her fellow students would have known her, most would
not. Professors, teaching assistants, classmates in lecture halls,
study groups, the social world of a dorm, then the apartment
building, the hangout for pizza and the favorite mallmaybe
three hundred people at the outside would have been in Jennas
circles? Forty or fifty people would know her well, another
hundred would be casual acquaintances, another couple hun-
dred would be able to place where they often saw her, the rest
36

Dee Henders on
would be, Oh yeah, the girl who disappeared, her photo looks
familiar from the news.
Time had passed, but it wouldnt be that hard to roll back
to when Jenna had been here. If someone around campus had
caused her harm, that person likely had bothered someone else
as well, possibly gotten kicked out of the college. Evie would
check at the provost office for discipline problems, everything
the campus security had worked on for the three years on either
side of Jennas disappearance. Cops would have pulled that
information in the past, but it never hurt to get a fresh copy
of the data.
Evie checked the campus map and headed toward the admin.
building, hoping her badge would clear the way to some co
operation. First rule out the personalboyfriend or ex-boyfriend
at the timethen dive into the fellow-student pool of possible
candidates and start eliminating names. That she would be walk-
ing the path other cops had taken before didnt bother her. Shed
see facts in a different order, maybe make a connection they
had missed.
Someone knew who had done this. Find him or her through
Jenna or through other things he or she had done and connect
back to Jenna. It was just a matter of working the angles to get
the right one to come into the light.
It helped having the governor interested in what the task
force was doing. It took only three referrals to get to the per-
son who could make a decision about what she asked to see.
She wouldnt get everything she hoped for, but she would get
enough to be useful.
Satisfied with what she had put in motion, Evie strode across
campus toward the apartment building where Jenna had lived.
If she was lucky, the current resident didnt have afternoon
classes and would be home.
37

Jenna lived here? The student who disappeared years ago?

This apartment?
Evie tucked her badge back into her pocket and pulled in
a sigh. The girl might be in college, but Evies guess put her
on the very young side of being a freshman. The locks have
been changed many times since then, security tightened with
numerous cameras, Evie reassured her. This block has had
very little crime in the last several years based on data Ive seen.
Id only like to step inside, look around, if you dont mind, get
a sense of the floor plan of the apartment.
The girl named Heather bit her lip, but nodded. Yeah, okay,
and stepped back to let Evie enter.
It was a typical college students small apartment, decorated
by a young woman away from home for the first time, free to
enjoy her own style and colors, but clinging to family and the
familiar with photos and high school memorabilia on the walls.
This is supposed to be one of the safe neighborhoods since
the sorority houses, the sports stadium, and the bars are on the
other side of campus. Its mostly premed majors and science
types in this area.
Were not even sure Jenna disappeared from here or if she
had gone out again that night, Evie reassured. She simply
wasnt home when friends came looking for her.
The apartment was narrower than Evie had realized from the
photos. A living room area to the left led out to a small balcony,
to the right a small galley kitchen with a narrow counter, a table
that doubled as a desk across from the counter at a window,
then a short hall to a bedroom and bath. A guest stepping into
the apartment would either have to step into the living room
or into the kitchen-study area.
38

Dee Henders on
Evie noted where they were both standing. Heather had

stepped into the kitchen entrance to let her enter the apart-
ment. Jenna would have done the same if she asked someone
to come in, automatically moving back into the kitchen be-
tween the counter and refrigerator to clear the doorway. It was
a contained space, hard to escape fromyoud have to climb
over the counter, and there wasnt much within reach to slow
someone downthrow a toaster, a coffeepot?
Is there a lot of street noise when youre sitting at the table
studying? Evie asked Heather, wanting to get her talking.
If the balcony door is open, or the windows, its steady
noise, but you learn to ignore it after a while.
What about the other apartments? Do you hear their music?
Hear doors close as they come and go?
Sure. Late at night, you can tell in a general way that some-
one is still upcabinets being closed, music on, voices in the
hall when people come and go, Heather replied. Its not a
quiet building. Its got a routine that you start to recognize
as normal. Whos most likely to come in late, the pattern of
peoples schedules. Sometimes when youre having people over,
you can get a complaint to hold it down after tenp.m. Were
pretty considerate of each other as were going to be neighbors
for at least a semester, and weve all got to study.
It was helpful information. It told Evie the witness state-
ments from building residents when Jenna disappeared should
be studied in detail for what they had heard and when. Evie
scanned the apartment windows, checking angles from which
others would be able to see inside. The building manager, the
super, any problems or delays getting stuff tended to that needs
attentiona dripping faucet, broken latch, loose floor tile, that
kind of thing? Management of the building hadnt changed
39

in the last decade, Evie had checked, so it was likely a few of

the same staff were still working here.
Theres a maintenance number, and they are good about
coming by. You have to leave a signed slip in their box downstairs
with details on what is wrong, give permission for someone to
come into the apartment if you want someone to handle the
problem when youre not here.
There would be keys to the apartment somewhere in the
managers office, and Evie would want to check how easy it
would be for someone to lift those keys, use them to enter the
apartment, or make a duplicate for later. Procedures might
have changed, some personnel, but certain things would be
very much the same. Laundry is in the building? she asked
Heather, trying to understand the dynamics of a shared build-
ing like this.
On the first floor, past the mailboxes and the utility room.
You can sign up for a specific laundry time for one machine or
take your chances that the other is free.
Whats in the utility room?
They keep extra snow shovels, brooms, that kind of equip-
ment available for tenants to use. Its left unlocked because
theres not much there you would want to steal. Stuff has been
spray-painted a bright lime green.
Evie smiled. What do you do with your trash?
Were supposed to use the dumpster out back marked for
this building, but if youve got a car and youre going out by
the south parking lot, its quicker to use the dumpster for the
next building.
Parkings constantly full? You have friends over, theyre
going to have to park where they can find a place and walk
over to your building?
Mostly. Its always a challenge, Heather agreed. You can
40

Dee Henders on
get away with double-parking to bring up groceries, but you

better be less than five minutes or someone is going to remember
it was your car and make a fuss about it. Weve got a parking
space matching our apartment number, and mostly its honored.
But in winter it gets to be everybody for themselves when the
pavement numbers get covered up. Most simply walk to where
they are heading if its anywhere nearby. Its just not worth
moving your car and losing your parking space. And the bus is
decent for going out to the mallit passes through this block
every hour.
That was useful to know. Evie pointed to the refrigerator.
Where do you get your groceries?
Theres a decent grocery store two blocks east that most
of us use. And every restaurant around here delivers in thirty
minutes or less. This kitchen seems great when you look at
apartment options. But having lived here a while, it would be
better if they had made this area all office space and given us
a half-sized refrigerator and a microwave rather than tie up all
this floor space. No one has time or really wants to cook when
its just one person.
Evie remembered those days and mentioned lightly, I kept
my books where the plates were supposed to be.
Heather reached over and opened a cabinet. It was filled with
art supplies. They shared a laugh.
The mood shifted to serious again as Heather asked, Do
you think something bad happened in this apartment?
If it did, Ill figure it out, Evie replied, keeping her tone
matter-of-fact. Think of it this way, Heather. Youre in the one
apartment the building manager worked the hardest to improve
for securitynew dead bolts, new window locks, a camera in
the hallnot to mention its been fully updated. Evie pointed
out the living room, then the kitchen. When Jenna lived here,
41

that carpet was blue, the backsplash had a gold-checked pattern,

and every wall was painted white. Youve got basically a new
place. Whatever occurred is history, and every apartment here
has its own history, good and bad.
Evie looked back at the building from the front sidewalk. It

showed its age, but it was well-maintained and matched oth-
ers on the block, so likely it was built by the same developer.
Odds were good the building stayed fully occupied, given it
was cheaper housing than the campus dorms and was within
walking distance to where classes were held. There would be
people around, coming and going, at all hours.
Streetlights, wide sidewalks, with a patch of grass and a
row of large trees in front of each building. The mature trees
would leave dark pockets at night, blocking the moonlight and
streetlights. The parking lot was visible from the street, but there
were enough rows of cars to provide concealment if someone
was careful.
Selecting this building, choosing apartment 19, risking going
upstairsJenna hadnt been a random target, not if this hap-
pened inside. If it happened on the street or in the parking lot,
that could be more random. Grab Jenna because she was the
vulnerable one in a target-rich environment. Maybe the guy
sat nearby, a van on the street, watching people come and go.
Jenna walks across his line of sight and gets picked.
Right age, appearancemove when shes near your vehicle,
snatch her fast, control her ability to cry out. Or maybe just
walk up next to her with a question when she moved into a
shadowed area and abruptly hit her hard, knock her out, and
ease her into the van. Two minutes? Three? Try not to slam the
van door or drive away too quickly. A public abduction was
42

Dee Henders on
extremely dangerous, but that would increase the adrenaline

and excitement levels of such a crime.
Evie felt a growing supposition that Jenna had walked into
trouble that night. Either she was grabbed on the way home,
and someone else sent that text to her mom, or she came back
outside for some reason and was then grabbed. If an abduction
on the street or in the parking lot, Jenna wouldnt be his first,
would she...?
Jenna had walked to dinner, the concert, then back to the
apartment building, so the circuit of those places couldnt be
far. Evie looked at her watch. With daylight left, she decided
she had time to find the restaurant and the concert venue. She
checked the restaurant name and location in the files shed
stuffed into the backpack, searched for it online, got directions.
She headed north on foot.
She had the list of people who were in the group that night
with Jenna, would track them down so she could interview them
again, this time to ask about the details. Chinese food. Jennas
choice, or someone else in the group? The first time Jenna had
been to this restaurant, or it was a place the waitstaff knew her
by sight, remembered her usual order?
Evie found the restaurant in under ten minutes, studied it
from across the street. An upscale place, probably an occasional
destination rather than a frequent one, only when you wanted to
splurge on a nice meal. They eat here, that takes maybe an hour
of the evening, and then head as a group to the concert venue.
Evie looked up the Fifth Street Music Hall and was directed
four blocks east. She walked that direction, finding herself
mostly moving against pedestrian traffic flowing toward the
college.
The Music Hall was a corner building occupying a good
half of the block, tented canopies for entrances on both cross
43

streets, a lighted marquee, the band Five Young Guys playing

tonight, with the opening band, The Chili Peppers, warming up
the crowd. Smoke & Fire was being promoted for Friday and
Saturday nights. Evie had no idea who any of these groups were,
but they must have a following sufficient to play here. Three
expansive parking lots and a multistory parking garage were
in sight of the building, suggesting weekends could be packed
houses when a popular band was booked to appear.
Evie considered what it would have looked like that Friday
night. Streets busy with cars, couples and groups streaming to
the Music Hall for a concert, a lot of people milling around.
The group around Jenna would have been one of many clusters
merging together at the entrance. Someone could slip in behind
her group, follow her insidenever be noticed, just one of the
crowd. A popular concert would draw in music lovers from all
over the area.
Had Jenna been a music groupie? One to hang around for
an autograph? Or was she the type to enjoy the music because
this was where the group wanted to go that night, then she was
ready to call it an evening and get home?
Maybe shed caught the attention of someone in the band or
the crew that did the setup and teardown. Why dont we meet
up for a drink when I get free in an hour? Or, The band is
gathering for drinks to end the evening, why dont you join us?
Dont tell your friends, so they dont get jealousits a private
invitation. Ill pick you up, or you can walk behind the Music
Hall and meet me at the backstage dooranything along that
line would work if Jenna had stars in her eyes about a band
member. Who was playing that night?
Evie tugged out the police reports, scanned them, but didnt
see the names of any bands. Who in the group had made the
dinner reservations, bought the concert tickets, put this evening
44

Dee Henders on
together? She did track down that name. Tiffany Wallace. Evie
shifted folders and got lucky. Tiffanys witness statement was
in the set she had brought with her. She turned pages looking
for the particulars. After the concert we headed back to cam-
pus ... Tiffanys statement was filled with references to the
evenings plans, the restaurant, the Music Hall location, the
concert was sold out, their group came and left together, lots
of people were on the street as they headed back to campus
details, but not the names of the groups playing that night.
Evie flipped through other witness statements, not finding the
specifics she was after.
Her friends had seen Jenna alive after the concert, near her
apartment, the cops hadnt been focused on the concert in the
first hours of the search. Not unexpected. Evie was interested
only because whatever had happened that night hadnt been
solved, and this was a prime location for Jenna to have been
spotted by someone who took an interest in her. The details
she needed would be in the other documentation somewhere.
Shed find it when she was back at the office.
Shed seen enough to tell her the core of it. Evie shoved the
folders back into the backpack, dug out car keys, and reversed
course. Shed come back with Ann for a more detailed excur-
sion.
Jenna had been around a lot of people that night. Past mid-
night or onea.m., Evie doubted this was a quiet area on a Friday
night. If Jenna had doubled back this direction after leaving
her friends, someone would have seen her, noticed her, likely
said something when the area got papered with missing-person
fliers and cops and friends were asking questions. Evie wanted
to see the tip file, the called-in comments that cops might have
looked at and not been able to do something with at the time.
She didnt know yet where the crime had happened. That
45

felt like the critical missing fact and the most likely reason the
case hadnt yet been solved.
Evie dumped her backpack on the desk and went to see what
David was doing. The conference room whiteboard had been
turned into a visual look at the PIs life. David was sitting on
the opposite side of the table, studying the mosaic.
Welcome back. David slid over an open bag of pretzels,
and Evie pulled out a chair, took a handful. She hadnt worked
with him long enough to recognize his mood at a glance, but
she had the impression his thinking stints were probably as
intense as hers, and interrupting was best timed for when he
was ready for a break. She was rewarded for the silence with
a smile and nod by him toward the board. Ive been looking
through his files at the type of work he did. A PI doing his job
is spying, sneaking around, collecting rumors and evidence
to prove someone is a criminal or an adulterer or otherwise a
bad person. Really bad people are the ones who tend to turn
around and kill you.
Evie thought that was a fascinating observation, and con-
sidered the board. A missing PI defined interesting simply
for the parallels with what law enforcement did plus the sheer
number of directions it might go.
David scooped up another handful of pretzels. Ive glanced
at his personal life. Saul Morris was forty-eight, never married,
a clean record with local cops. He worked at a newspaper as
a photographer before he got into PI work. Nothing showed
up that set off alarmsno sex scandals, no revolving set of
girlfriends, no gambling problem. He pointed with a pretzel
at the photo of Sauls house. Nothing was found in his place
suggesting he was using or dealing drugs, trafficking in stolen
46

Dee Henders on
goods, or doing some blackmailing alongside his investigating.

Hobbies were sports and carsseveral car magazines subscrip-
tions, hed paid to drive around a race track in a performance
carthat kind of thing. He preferred to work alone, sole propri-
etor, no history of hiring any staff. His life was his PI business.
An older guy with an interesting career, she commented,
maybe a few painful breakups with girlfriends in his twenties
and thirties, so why settle down now?
Pretty much how I read it, David said with a nod. He
was actually pretty tame as PIs go. He was good with a camera,
good at tailing people. He worked a number of infidelity cases.
I think my spouse is cheating on me kind of thing. He was
getting referrals from satisfied clients, who told their friends
about the PI whod helped them out. Its sad when you think of
itthe cottage industry that exists around infidelity. It looks
to be about twenty percent of his business.
He also did a lot of background checks. Prospective business
hires, as well as people being considered for promotion to sensi-
tive positions. Numerous traces locating people skipping out on
debts and child-support payments. Some of his personal bills he
paid by camera worka newspaper needs a photographer on
a breaking story, hed stop what he was doing to take the job.
Evie was seeing a picture form as David spoke. A realist
about the work, a lot of jobs that would take five to fifteen
hours, keep the client list full, the income diversified.
Id say thats how he was thinking, David concurred. He
nodded at the board. Notice whats not up there? He gave
her a minute to scan it. Theres no work for insurance com-
panies, suspected fraud, thefts, the he said it was stolen and
put in a claim, but hes actually still got it, kinds of cheating
attempts by people who arent very good at it. Theres also no
work for lawyers, which is surprising. Most PIs are doing some
47

trial-related work, probing the veracity of statements from de-

fendants, trying to locate witnesses.
A selective kind of PI, Evie said thoughtfully, intrigued.
So either business was good, she guessed, or he lived thin as
far as personal needs went, so he could be choosy about which
clients to take on.
From what Ive seen so far, Id say he was making ends meet,
but it wasnt luxury, David replied. He was living skinny in
order to stay with the cases he wanted to work. Im also not
seeing what I would call work with the shadier sides of Chicago
businessthe business owner paying protection money to a
crime family, a store dealing with a gang problem so as not
to get their front windows smashed. Most PIs are doing some
type of social counseling, the back off message delivery, the
ex-husband or boyfriend ignoring a restraining order. But my
guy was avoiding that type of job.
As Evie listened, she realized David was revealing a rather
extensive working knowledge of the PI business. She also noticed
his handful of pretzels had become a neat stack as he idly flipped
them into order in his hand while he talked. She was going to
find the next weeks fascinating and had to force her attention
back to the case itself, rather than profile the cop working it.
My PI was the type who preferred to hang back, David
continued, gesturing again with a pretzel toward the board.
He liked to observe, take photos, ferret out the secret. Based
on the numerous photos on those laptops, this guy can blend
in at hotels, at barssocial, comfortable in crowds. Hes street-
smart, can think on his feet. But that may have cost him his
life, if he was too confident in his ability to handle himself in
difficult situations.
David glanced over. You look into the secrets people are
keeping, youre going to find drugs, gambling, an affair, or a
48

Dee Henders on
pretty elaborate fraudthe guy with two wives, a Ponzi scheme,

embezzlement. Im going to guess Saul followed someone, tak-
ing photos, got spotted himself, and paid for the error with his
lifephotograph a drug buy, get yourself shot. Im inclined to
think this case is going to come down to something that simple.
He was doing a job that can be deadly. And for him, it was.
Evie studied the names on the board, not expecting to recog-
nize anyone, just counting for a total. Getting killed because
of work, given the breadth of his clients, is going to make for
an interesting exploration.
The number of cases he was working at the time of his
death is manageable. Thats where Ill start digging first. If the
answer isnt found in those, Ill then look at the closed cases.
Maybe someone wanted payback.
You sound pleased, Evie mentioned.
David smiled. I am. Im starting to understand this guy. Ive
now scanned enough files to know what he was doing in his
job, and its the job where he poured his time. Thats a good
chunk of work sorted out in just the first day. David reached
for a bottle of water. Thats my case so far. How did your
campus visit go?
Useful. Evie filled him in on her impressions of the college
and the apartment building where Jenna had lived.
He nodded as she finished. Youre leaning toward a local
crime, everything at the root of your case residing within blocks
of each other.
I am. Her world is contained. I think he entered it and chose
her. Whether he was choosing a typea pretty college student
who was vulnerable, reachableor choosing the person Jenna,
Im not sure yet.
Youll find him.
Evie appreciated his certainty. I will. Though Im not yet sure
49

its a him. Im thinking her, as that possibility is probably not

something well-explored yet. Its there somewhere, the thread I
need to find and tug. She pushed back her chair. Italian, you
said? Ive got a few things I want to gather up to take back to
the hotel, but then Im ready for dinner. Dont forget, Id like
to hear the story of you and Maggie.
He laughed. Okay, give me twenty minutes and Ill be ready
to head out. Well find some good food and then Ill tell you
an interesting story.
50

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Threads of Suspicion

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Books by Dee Henderson

Danger in the Shadows

An Evie Blackwell Cold Case

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2017 by Dee Henderson

Published by Bethany House Publishers

Bethany House Publishers is a division of

Printed in the United States of America

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Cover design by Faceout Studio, Tim Green

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as his reputation as a New York City cop preceded him. He

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Evie, I think your dogs are stalking me.

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Evie said, responding to the question at hand. Douglas County

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consensus? Do we want to try for a home run our first time at

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hand, had arrived and was in earnest conversation with Theo.

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Evie turned and saw the two German shepherds watching

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the job and dating would be another point of common ground

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Re-create the day of the crime.

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She found a casual photo of Jenna with her mother in an

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Current boyfriend: Steve Hamilton

Her first interviews would be with family and friends. Evie

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Evie stared. Margaret May McDonald? Shes your girl? Are

Her thoughts were no longer fully focused on her case. Her

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dating a cop? Evie was struck by how many comments must

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lunch? she asked David as he came through the door with

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6. Keys recovered in apartment

Evie put a question mark on that last one because shed

What had Jenna been wearing that Friday night? If it was a

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Under THEORIES, Evie started making another list. Her

1. Killed or still alive?

Evie lightly crossed off number twoMissing by her own

5. Boyfriend Steve Hamilton did something?

She needed a deeper look at the family. Brighton College was

9. If killed in her apartment, where did the body go? Hauled

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10. Killed in another apt in the building?

Evie stopped when she wrote down twelve, feeling an in-

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